III. NE-corner of complex and entrance to the huge triclinium
During the 2006 season of the IWFP, a series of rooms apparently built in the Medieval period started appearing in the NE corner of the former portico and in front of the huge triclinium of the Soldier’s Tomb complex (no. 1 on fig. 1; figs. 7. 8). Several walls constructed in a rather careless technique started appearing already in 2006. They obviously form two rooms as well as a kind of a corridor (figs. 7. 8).
Fig. 7: Wadi Farasa East, Medieval rooms on NE-corner of the complex (photo: A. Barmasse and L. Gorgerat)Fig. 8: Wadi Farasa East, Medieval rooms on NE-corner of the complex (photo: S. G. Schmid)
This year, a next room was exposed, being directly built towards the rock on its northern and eastern sides (fig. 9 left; top left on fig. 8). As clearly indicated by the collapsed remains and by the two remaining supports, the room initially was covered by an arch spanning in east-western direction.
Fig. 9: Wadi Farasa East, Medieval rooms on NE-corner of the complex (photo: S. G. Schmid)
The careless building technique by reused stones (fig. 11) and the important amount of the so-called Ayyubid-Mamluk pottery, dating to the 11th to 13th centuries AD indicate a Medieval date for these constructions.
Fig. 10: Wadi Farasa East, Medieval rooms on NE-corner of the complex (photo: S. G. Schmid)
This, together with the results of previous campaigns cf. Schmid 2007B: 141–144, Schmid and Barmasse 2006: 217–219; Schmid 2005: 75f. shows that the complex of the Soldier Tomb was integrally reused during the period of the Crusader presence in Petra, probably as a small fortification on the Soldier’s Tomb complex in the Medieval period see Schmid 2006A. .
Fig. 11: Wadi Farasa East, Medieval wall (photo: S. G. Schmid)
The hypothesis of a military aspect of the Medieval occupation of the area could be supported by a rather important number of round stones in different sizes that could be interpreted as being ballistae, i. e. ammunition for slingshots and small catapults (fig. 12).
Fig. 12: Wadi Farasa East, rounded stones, maybe ballistae from Medieval context (photo: S. G. Schmid)
To the east of the previously mentioned structures, other walls belonging to same building phase continue in direction of the huge triclinium belonging to the Soldier’s Tomb complex (fig. 7, on the left). At least one additional room started appearing and it seems as if the same row of constructions once continued all over in front of the triclinium. Since the central main entrance to the triclinium was cleaned in the 1930s by the then Department of Antiquities of Transjordan Horsfield 1938: 40 with notes 5. 7; Horsfield 1939: 93. , and, therefore, no additional information can probably be obtained from that spot, it was decided to carry out a small sounding at the area of the southernmost lateral entrance to the triclinium (figs. 13. 14).
Fig. 13: Wadi Farasa East, small sounding in southern doorway of big triclinium (photo: S. G. Schmid)
Although being rather small and not completely finished, the sounding revealed a succession of several phases within that narrow spot. To the initial functioning of the Soldier’s Tomb complex must belong a series of steps leading from the triclinium downwards in direction of the courtyard (on the right on figs. 13. 14). This feature makes perfect sense, since the floor of the courtyard is at a level of 930.61 m asl (floor slabs included). The levels inside the triclinium are of 931.58 m asl for the central part of the floor while the first step excavated this year is at 931.89 m asl and, therefore, a difference of 1.28 m had to be by-passed by these steps. At this period, the southern side-door must have been of quite important dimensions regarding its height.
Fig. 14: Wadi Farasa East, small sounding in southern doorway of big triclinium (photo: S. G. Schmid)
In a next phase the door was partially filled in and the threshold must have been raised by almost one meter. When exactly this happed could not be determined so far and for the time being, the reason for this change remains also enigmatic. Maybe these changes were already meant to prevent water from winter flash-floods which would, then, indicate that already in late antiquity the water management systems of the Wadi Farasa East were not anymore properly working. In a next phase the space immediately in front of the southern side-door was occupied by an important structure, maybe something like a podium, using big stones being positioned on a level of smaller stones clearly being reused, since some of them still show traces of wall plaster (in the centre on figs. 13. 14). This podium-like structure seems to continue all over the space in front of the triclinium (cf. above) and this could be an indication as for its Medieval date. As a matter of fact, all the rock-cut structures so fare explored on the lower and upper terrace clearly show that the Mediavel occupation of the Wadi Farasa East, probably being related to the crusader presence at Petra, has a strong defensive character, blocking for instance the entrances to the Soldier Tomb of the lower terrace and to the Garden House of the upper terrace.
